The planned exchange programme between students of Akwa Ibom origin and their United Kingdom counterparts has been sealed as the State government and the London Borough of Southwark partner to facilitate the programme and other areas of common interest.
The two governments entered into the partnership when Akwa Ibom Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, played host to a delegation from the Southwark Council, led by the Mayor, Mr. Michael Situ at Government House, Uyo.
The delegation was in the State to finalize arrangements for the exchange programme and other mutually beneficial ventures in the areas of education, business, sports, and tourism.
Welcoming the Mayor and his entourage to the State, the Governor described Situ’s visit as a demonstration of integrity and commitment to the exchange deal and reaffirmed the commitment of the State Government to fulfilling their side of the partnership obligations with utmost transparency.
Explaining his intent in initiating the exchange programme, Governor Eno said the programme is to give an oversea exposure to some bright but not-so-privileged Akwa Ibom children and encourage them to believe in hard work.
He commended the Commissioner for Information, Comrade Ini Ememobong, for his effort in bringing the vision to fruition.
“… for my child, grandchildren or the child of anyone in this room to fly to London is no news, the news is that brilliant child in a public school in the village who didn’t even think of or have hope of going to the airport, being made to sit on a 6-7 hours flight to arrive the UK and you tell him this’s just the beginning if you take your education more seriously, it can take you to any part of the world and you can sit on the table with anyone.
“That’s the catch for me. If I can get one Akwa Ibom child motivated with that, I would have succeeded, so I take this as a project, he explained.
Justifying the funding for the programme amidst scourging economic indices, the governor said though the cost may be high due to unfavorable exchange rates, the human capital development investment for the state and the benefits for Akwa Ibom Children outweigh the cost.
He, therefore, directed the Information boss and facilitator of the programme, Comrade Ini Emembong to facilitate interactions between the Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Idongesit Etiebet, Heads of Schools, Local Government Councils and other stakeholders with the Southwark delegation to fine-tune processes towards a smooth take-off of the programme.
Governor Eno assured the Southwark Council of the integrity of Akwa Ibom people, explaining that modalities have been put in place to ensure the return of everyone in due time, affirming that the programme will not just be a one-off thing.
“I can guarantee on our honour that every child and member of staff that will leave to the UK, will return. That is the commitment I have made because we hope to make this a continuous thing”.
The governor therefore proposed a forum of Akwa Ibom-Southwark business communities to help explore opportunities for investments between the two entities, assuring of his administration’s commitment to maintain the State’s prestige in sports and tourism as having the only FIFA-certified stadium in Nigeria, to encourage partnership in sports.
Earlier, Michael Situ lauded the ingenuity of the government and people of Akwa Ibom State for not only indicating interest in partnering with his government for exchange programmes but taking steps at a very impressive pace to concretize the partnership, describing Governor Umo Eno’s leadership as service oriented.
He said, “when we all think of ourselves as being here for service, the job of governance becomes very simple in the sense that your focal point becomes what will really benefit the people and how to address their issues and concerns”.
Mayor Situ said schools in the London Borough of Southwark that have been scheduled for the exchange programme were already excited about it and expressed optimism that the people of Southwark, especially those of African descent, will be excited to also have opportunity to visit Akwa Ibom for interactions in culture, sports and other areas of interest, affirming his satisfaction with the infrastructure and ambiance in the state.
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